Back in 2006, Metro-area voters approved a natural area bond measure which identified the Tonquin Regional Trail (a series of routes connecting Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, and Wilsonville) as a priority for development.

Planning kicked off in 2009 and recently the Project Steering Committee announced the recommended alignment for the trail system.

Their recommendation creates connections (at the north end of the the trail system) with the Westside Trail, Fanno Creek Trail, and Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Winding south from those points the Tonquin Trail continues through Sherwood and Wilsonville, ending near Champoeg State Park.
Committee members and project staff are clear that the Tonquin Regional Trail is designed for more than recreation.

In an announcement of the committee’s recommendation, Metro says that the trail will provide “new ways for people to travel to work, shopping, schools, nature and more.”

This is so rad! I’ve lived around these areas at various times and they are in desperate need of safer options for travelling by bike or walking. Many of the roads connecting these sprawling towns have no shoulder and have high vehicle speeds. They are great for riding, but not always very forgiving to casual or amateur vulnerable road users.

Wouldn’t it be nice if these grew out of control, like mycelia, throughout our state…nay, our country?!

“Wouldn’t it be nice if these grew out of control, like mycelia, throughout our state…nay, our country?!”
Yes It would Chris! This is one of the primary reasons we left our home town. Federal funds allocated for MASSIVE greenway expansion, only then to be bottle necked in local political diversions. Tualatin often is the one place around that I seem to experience these most frequent of harsh sneers from fellow road users. Maybe I am just there on bad days?

I’ve ridden in other countries where I could go on a bike ride the equivalent distance of Portland to Corvallis with dedicated bike paths the whole way. It would be incredible to have the same thing here!

Doesn’t it seem a stretch to say that it ends near Champoeg State Park? I mean it stops on the north bank of the Willamette and Champoeg is on the south. Just that small barrier – the river – keeps you from going that last quarter mile.

A good stopgap would be to wall off the shoulder of I-5 in both directions between the Wilsonville Road exit and the Miley Road exit so that bike traffic can ride that stretch with a minimum of debris. It’s currently legal to ride on that stretch of I-5 (about a mile long), and the shoulder is massively wide, but frequently full of debris. A line of K-rails or other solid barrier would prevent debris from drifting over into the shoulder and allowing any cyclists in the interim period to cross the Willamette with a reasonable feeling of safety.

Current conditions are LOUD, but no worse than the I-84 bike path in far NE Portland / Fairview.

I notice the map says “future connection to Champoeg State Park.” Having bike-camped to Champoeg this past summer with my child, I would love a more car-free way to get there. Just imagine a bike/ped bridge across the Willamette there!